"It has been the misfortune of this age, that everything is to be discussed, as if the constitution of our country were to be always a subject rather of altercation than enjoyment." - Edmund Burke anticipates the Neverendum

Wednesday, March 26, 2008

The truth about teacher blogging

We can more or less say what we want because most of you don't having a fucking clue about what actually goes on in schools. Apart from anything else, quite a large proportion of bloggers, and the assorted visitors to comments boxes, seem to have gone to either private or grammar schools.

"It is no secret that some of the most ordinary teachers in the land are in the private sector. Some private school teachers are of course excellent. But simply because they don't have to be excellent in order not to be eaten alive by their children, there are many who are not."

"The inner city is the perfect place for mediocrity to fester. And what of those outstanding teachers in the inner city? They eventually leave for the Independent sector."

...from the same author. And no-one notices - because they don't, as I said, have a fucking clue about what goes on in schools. You could make these consistent, I suppose - but it's going to involve a little intellectual yoga. So, anyway - the solution [blog author from the comments]?

"Break the unions of course!"

Over a period of about twenty years or so, discipline has deteriorated, assaults on staff are up, and while it's difficult to measure objectively, I think you'll find that most teachers, parents, and employers would argue that standards have declined. At the same time, the power of central government has increased, as has the power of 'managers', as has the role of the private sector. Now, teachers' unions can be, as I can testify, fairly useless and reactionary - but to cite them as the principal problem? Bollocks!